What standards apply under the Fire Safety Order

[col10]

What standards apply under the Fire safety Order, the ones that were in use when the building was built or modern day standards?

e.g 5 storey 1960s built duplex flats, the common stairway is open to the common corridor.  There are louvre vents at both ends of the 27m  common corridor.

 Flat entrance doors at 3rd floor level, open kitchen and open stairway leading to upper   (4th floor) level with escape via the balcony.

The building will undergo a refurbishment consisting of replacement of the external walls but internal walls will remain so no material change of use under Building Regs and Part B only applies in so  much as the building should be no more unsatisfactory in relation to Part B.  

The building has been empty for over 6 years, and when it is occupied what standards will apply under FSO?

[AnthonyB]

In my opinion I would use the Purpose built flats guide as a benchmark, allowing a sympathetic risk based approach to fire precautions.

There may no longer be a statutory bar to fire safety legislation, but it doesn't mean you automatically have to bring everything up to 2016 standards.

Some old fire safety practices have stood the test of time, others have been disproven - the risk determining the need whether to modernise fully, upgrade existing, or retain existing unchanged.

What might remain tolerable in a small two floor 60's block may be dangerously inadequate in a similar 10 floor block.

[Tom Sutton]

Kurnal mentioned in another thread the Building Regulations and fire safety procedural guide which I think could be relevant in this situation, check out http://www.firesafetyfirst.co.uk/publications/CLG%20-%20Building%20Regulations%20and%20fire%20safety%20procedural%20guidance.pdf

You deal with a paper FRA on the premises as suggested by AB and when the premises are occupied no further building work would be required.

[wee brian]

This is pretty fundamental stuff.

Maintaining the original design is not evidence of compliance with the order.

In practice, you compare the premises with current standards and see if there are any deficiencies. you then need to consider if those deficiencies present a risk worthy of action and what that action might be.

[kurnal]

Something else to consider - From your description it sounds as though the protection to the staircase and communal area in the original design may have been based on the smoke dispersal system that was described in CP3 chapter 4 part 1 1963 edition, but which rapidly fell from favour in the mid 1960s because it did not work unless the wind was blowing in the right direction and was at least force 4 on the Beaufort scale. If this is the case it would be crackers, IMHO, on refurbishment, not to at least formally review this as part of the project.